Three teams battle it out for first place in the league but who will win? Â
This weekend the Belfast Giants, the Sheffield Steelers and the Nottingham Panthers are battling it out in the quarterfinals.
This weekend’s games will be the decider on the semi-finals on the 19th of April. On the 19th the third and fourth placed team will also play one another to decide third place. Â
The final will take place on the 20th of April and will decide who takes home the cup.
In current first place is the Belfast Giants with a total of 76 points in 52 games. They need to win both games they are playing this weekend to cement their win this season. By achieving two wins they would reach 80 points leaving the teams below unable to achieve higher.
If the Giants beat Nottingham Panthers and the Steelers lose their game, they will win the title as they would reach a total of 78 points which the other teams would be unable to reach which would decide their win as early as Saturday.
The Giants who were crowned Champion cup winner this year are likely hoping to secure their place as winner of the playoffs hoping to take both trophies this season.
In current second place are the Shefield Steelers who currently stand with 75 points in 52 games. Standing just one point behind the top spot means they too have a high chance of winning. If the Giants and Steelers end the weekend with the same number of points, then the Steelers will win by default as they have won more games in total than them.
If Sheffield were to win their game and receive a point via penalty or overtime shootout then the title race would move to Sunday regardless of the Giants versus Panthers result.
But if Sheffield lose both their games this weekend they will be out of the race with no chance of winning.
The Nottingham Panthers who sit in third place with 72 points in 52 games need a lot of luck to come in first this weekend.
The only way for the Panthers to reach first place would be a double Steelers defeat and two wins in regulation time. If the Panthers beat the Giants twice in regulation and two Steelers losses would see them reaching 76 points leading to a tie break in which Nottingham would have the advantage as it too has won more games than Belfast.
No other situation would lead with Nottingham having a chance to win the league.
The games are Nottingham Panthers against the Belfast Giants in Cardiff, then the same teams against each other on Sunday in Nottingham.
The Sheffield Steelers go up against the Cardiff Devils in Sheffield on Saturday and then face off against the Coventry Blazes in Coventry on Sunday.
So, what are the predictions? Going into the weekend it is clear that the Nottingham Panthers need a lot of luck to try and come in first place and the Giants are looking like the likely candidates to cement their standing. But the Panthers and Steelers should not lose their courage as they can still make it, the Steeler especially are very close behind the Giants and if they play well, they can make it easily.
As the winners of last year the Steelers most likely have the motivation needed to try and beat the Giants, but the real question is; is motivation enough? The results of the quarter final will paint a picture deciding who will take home the trophy.
